Lighting fixture hinge



March 14, 1961 l. DVORAK 2,974,355

LIGHTING FIXTURE HINGE Original Filed Feb. -17 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

iji L STEE I. DVOEAK March 14, 1961 L. 1. DVORAK LIGHTING FIXTURE HINGE Original Filed Feb. 17, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R m H W.

LESTEC I. DVOEAK March 14, 1961 1.. 1. DVORAK LIGHTING FIXTURE HINGE Original Filed Feb. 17, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 45572? I. DVaEAK March 14, 1961 L. 1. DVORAK LIGHTING FIXTURE HINGE Original Filed Feb. 17, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. LESTER I. DVOEAK LIGHTING FIXTURE HINGE Lester I. Dvorak, Westlake, ()hio, assignor to The Art Metal Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application Feb. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 715,549,

now Patent No. 2,938,112, dated May 24, 1960. Divided and this application Feb. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 792,170

1 Claim. (Cl. 16179) This invention relates to hingeable support structure for swingably, latchably connecting several or more members together to provide for relative swingable move ment therebetween while retaining said members as a unitary or integral unit.

The present application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 715,549, filed February 17, 1958, and now Patent No. 2,938,112, and entitled Lighting Fixture.

More particularly, the hingeable support structure of the present invention is especially designed for use with lighting fixtures or the like wherein it is desirable to move one or more of the fixture members and provide access to the normally inaccessible interior of the same and hence to the illuminating device therein While yet retaining the lighting fixture as a unita y and integral unit.

In present day lighting fixtures of the type referred to, the interior of the same; or that part in which the illuminating device such as a bulb or fluorescent tubing is locatedfis normally inaccessible byreason of the fact that a reflector or the like completely encloses said illuminatingdevice to thereby providea more diffused lighting effect. Oftentimes, when it is desirable to replace the illuminating device, such as when the bulb or fluorescent tubing burns out, the reflector must be completely removed from the fixture before access can be had to said device, For example, the artisan in the field is fully cognizant of the type of lighting fixture wherein a canopy type reflector is releasably held to'the fixture housing by means of suitable threaded fasteners threadably received within the housing and extending radially inward ly thereof to engage with the outer-wall of the reflector. In, this particular type of lighting fixture, i-t' isnecessary to first remove said fasteners froin' the housing before the reflector canbe detached from itsoperative association with the latter. As a' result, the lighting fixture in' elfectis almost totally disassembled, andturther, with the several parts of the lighting fixture :being separated one'from the other, the same areapt to be lost or. damaged during the interval when replacement of the illuminating device is necessary.

Other similarly operative lighting fixture devices are well known to the artisan wherein it is likewise required to totally remove one or more of the fixture members before access to the illuminating device may be accomplished.

Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of a hingeable support structure especially designed for use with lightingfixtures, or the. like, wherein one or more of the fixture members may be readily moved to obtain access to the normally inaccessible interior of the fixture while retaining thesaid fixture members operative association with each other as, a unitary and integral unit.

Another object of thepresent invention is the provision of a novel and improvedhingeable support structure es pecially designed for use with lighting fixtures, or the States Patent like, and wherein the structure hingedly supports atleast one of the fixture members and latchably connects'the same in an operative position relative to the other of said fixture members.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel and improved hingeable support 1 structure especially designed for use with a lighting fixture having a canopy type reflector completely enclosing the illuminating device of said fixture'and wherein the said structure peripherally supports the reflector and additionally provides for swinging the same to obtain access to the normally inaccessible illuminating device disposed in the interior of said fixture.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be realized by one skilled in the art to which it pertains and upon reference to the following disclosure of a preferred embodiment and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and wherein: V

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a circular lighting fixture embodying one'form of hingeable support structure of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1 and shows the spring latch of the hingeable support structure of the present invention with the same in its latched condition;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the spring latch shown in Fig. 2 to more clearly show its operative association with the several members of the lighting fixture; V I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a portion of the hingeable support'structure of the present invention and shows the same attached to one of the fixture members and positioned to receive the reflector member of said fixture prior to its being moved to a hingeable supporting position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan View similar to Fig. 4 but showing the hingeable support structure of the present invention in its normally operative position providing peripheral support for the fixture reflector and a pivotal connection with another of the fixture members I I about which said reflector may be swungto obtain access similar to Fig. 5 but shows another embodiment of pivotal connection for the hingeable supportstructure of the present invention; and,

Fig, 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lighting fixture with the pivotal connection for the hingeablesup port structure. as shown in Fig. 8 and withthe reflector member swung to its lowered position; and, a

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional. view takenfs ubstantially on line 10--10 of Fig. 9.

Referring now to the drawings, the hingeable support structure of the present invention is herein embodied, merely for purposes of illustration, for use with alighting fixture normally adapted for usein a domesticinstallation or the like, and comprising in its instant form a cylindrical housing 2 substantially dish-shaped in configuration, which carries a socket 3, the latter accommo:

dating an illuminating device. such. asa bulb orgthe like,

cludes a bowl-like reflector or lens 5lhaving,.a. base integrally formed with an annular conical-shaped wall 7 which is adapted to be. placedover the housing;

pletely encasing the socket and illuminating device mounted therein, being operative thereby to difiuse the light emanating from the latter more evenly throughout a given area. The outside surface of wall 7 of said reflector may also be louvred at spaced peripheral planes, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 2, to aid in dilfusing the light more evenly throughout said'area.

The reflector or lens is adapted to be moved to a normally operative position with the fixture housing 2 wherein it completely encloses the illuminating device, and is also intended to be swung downwardly from this position, relative to said housing whereby the said illuminating device is exposed and access may be readily had to the same for purposes of maintenance, replacement or the like. For this purpose, the instant form of fixture housing 2 is formed with an upper annular rim 9 which is integrally connected at its lower end by an inwardly curved wall 10 to the upper edge of the outside wall 11 of a double walled lower rim portion 12. Said fixture housing is also integrally provided with a flat, circular platform 13 horizontally disposed within the same and integrally connected at its periphery to the upper edge of the inner wall 14 of the lower double walled rim portion 12. Said inner wall lies in juxtaposition to the outside wall 11 and interiorly of the same in such manner as to locate the platform substantially intermediate the top and bottom edges of the housing 2.

The hingeable support structure of the present invention is interconnectible with the housing 2 and reflector 5 to hingeably connect the same together and for this purpose the present form of structure shown in Figs. 1-7 includes a substantially flat plate 16, somewhat polygonal in configuration and which is rigidly attached to the underside surface 18 of the platform 13 by means of suitable fasteners 19, such as rivets or the like, its outside edge lying adjacent the inner wall 14 of the double walled rim portion 12 of the housing 2, as is shown in Fig. 5. A pair of elongated channel members 21 and 22 is rigidly mounted on the underside surface of the plate 16, extending inwardly from the edge thereof in a diverging relation, being provided with opposed depending wall portions 23 and 24, Fig. 7, the latter projecting downwardly in parallel spaced relation and having end rail portions 26 and 27 respectively, depending therefrom in substantial perpendicular relation and extending inwardly toward each other over the channel member base 29, defining therebetween a channel cavity 30. An elongated slide member 31 is disposed within the channel cavity 30 in each of said channel members, being slidable longitudinally therethrough, being formed with an arm 28 depending vertically downwardly therefrom and outwardly between the rail portions 26 and 27 and provided on its free end with a substantially closed eyelet 32. As shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5 the arm 28 of the slide member carried within the channel member 21 connects with its base 29 such that it extends diagonally thereacross from its one edge 29a at an angle greater than 90 degrees. The purpose for this particular construction is that with the channel member 21 diverging upwardly, and with the slide member slidably moved to its outward limit adjoining the lower rim portion 12, the eyelet 32 on said arm will then lie almost tangentially to the periphery of the housing platform 13.

In like manner, the arm 28 of the slide member carried within the channel member 22 connects with its base 29 so as to extend diagonally thereacross from its edge 29b at an angle of less than 90 degrees so as to likewise position its eyelet 32 in close tangential relation to the periphery of said platform. It is, of course, clearly understood that the angular disposition of each of said slide member arms, as disclosed herein, is merely to illustrate one particular embodiment of hingeable support and it is apparent that it may be desired to change the location of said arms depending primarily upon the placement of the channel members 21 and 22 and the size and configuration of the housing platform 13.

A flexible retaining member 33, which in its present form comprises a single length of round spring Wire, shaped into substantial circular configuration, has each of its ends loosely extending into and through one of the closed eyelets 32 on said opposed slide member arms 28. -An enlarged head 34 formed on each of said ends and having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of each of the eyelets is effective to secure said retaining member to the slide members 31 and thereby provide a continuous wire loop thereof extending circularly outwardly therebetween.

The reflector member 5 is adapted to be releasably swingably attached to the housing 2 by means of the retaining member 33 and for this purpose, the upper annular wall portion 35 of said reflector as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is provided on its outer peripheral surface with an annulargroove 36. With reference now directed particularly to Fig. 4, it is seen that when the slide members 31 are moved inwardly along the channel members 21 and 22, in diverging relation toward the center of the fixture platform 13, the ends of the wire retaining member 33 are forced outwardly such that the diameter of the wire loop, as above defined. of said retaining member is substantially increased.

With each of the slide members 31 thus moved inwardly to a position as is shown in Figs. 4 and 6, a rectangular shaped tongue 37 formed centrally in the latter and adjacent the inner end thereof, is adapted to lie over and in nested relation with a similarly shaped tongue 38 formed in each channel member 21 and 22, respectively. Hence, with said slide members thus located, the hingeable support structure is conditioned to a reflector receiving position whereby the wire loop of the retaining member 33 is of suflicient diameter to permit the placement of the annular wall 35 of said reflector therein. With the reflector inserted into the wire loop such that it lies adjacent and/or loosely extends into the annular groove 36, said reflector is then slidably moved in the direction of the arrow 39, or to the left as shown in Fig. 4, to force the slide members 31 toward the outside edge of the plate 16 against the resistance of the tongue 38 and hence move the arms 28 and attached eyelets 32 carried thereon in a converging relation to bring the ends of the retaining member 33 closer together such that the diameter of said wire loop is decreased. As a result, said wire loop enters into the annular groove 36 in the reflector 5 and resiliently engages with the surface thereof sufiiciently to retain the same therewithin. As is more clearly shown in Fig. 5, the slide members 31 are thus moved to carry the eyelets 32 on each of the arms 28 to a position closely adjacent each other and the inner surface of the wall 14 of the housing rim 2. This position may be defined and hereinafter referred to as the reflector locking and pivotal position, whereat the same is centrally located within the double walled lower rim portion 12 of the housing 2 and may thence be swingably movable downwardly therefrom about said eyelets, now acting as spaced pivots, to provide access to the normally inaccessible interior of the lighting fixture. The inner end of each of the slide members 31 is additionally provided with a curved tail portion 41 as shown in Fig. 6 having an upstanding groove 42 extending transversely thereacross and which is adapted to receive the leading face 38a on the aforesaid tongue 38 being effective thereby to lock said slide members in the aforementioned reflector pivotal position, which position is indicated in Fig. 5.

The novel and improved hingeable support structure of the present invention also includes latch means effective to releasably secure the reflector 5 of the lighting fixture in its normally operative position with the housing 2, as is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. For this purpose, an elongated leaf-type latch member 43 rectangular in section and formed with a substantially closed eyelet 44 on its one end which receives the wire loop of the retaining member 33 preferably intermediate the ends of the latter,

is extended upwardly adjacent the. annular wall 35-. of the reflector 5, and through an enlarged opening 45 adjoining the periphery of the housing platform 13. The upper end of the latch member 43 is reversely curved upon itself and extends downwardly toward the upper surface ofsaid platform to define a hood-type latch 46 which normally engages with the locking plate 47. of a latch able lock member 48, now to be described.

With reference directed particularly toFigs. 1 and 3, the present form of lock member 48 includes a base 49 having leg portions 50 and 51 disposed in perpendicular relation to each other and rigidly attached to the upper surface of the housing platform 13 by means of any suitable fasteners, such. as indicated at 52. Thebase leg 51, at itsmedial part, is provided with a bridge portion 53 which is spaced above the housing platform 13 a distance preferably slightly greater than the thickness of the aforesaid locking plate 47, and as is shown in Fig. 1, said bridge portion lies adjacent and faces the latch member 42. The lock member 48 is also provided with a curved arm 54 which extends upwardly from the end of the base leg 50 and integrally connects to one end of a resilient spring member 56. A pair of spaced arms 57 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 3), connects to one end of the locking plate 47 and thence curves upwardly therefrom to connect at longitudinally spaced points with thespring member 56 adjacent its free end. Said locking plate, in addition, is provided with an enlarged opening 58 formed adjacent said latter end and between the aforesaid spaced arms 57. As shown particularly in Fig. 3, the spring member 56 normally lies against the inside face 59 of the upper rim portion 9, closely following the contour of the same in such manner that the locking plate extends partially underneath the bridge portion 53 in the base leg 51. With said locking plate thus located, the latch 46 on the latch member 42 normally resiliently engages its upper surface 61 adjacent the enlarged opening 58 sufficiently to latchably retain the reflector 5 in the housing 2 in its aforementioned operative position.

The lock member 48 is adapted to be actuated to unlatch the member 43 from its latchable engagement with the locking plate 47 such that the reflector 5 may then be swung downwardly relative to the fixture housing 2 about the spaced eyelets 32, and for this purpose an operator 65, substantially cylindrical in configuration, is slidably disposed within an aperture 67 formed in the annular rim portion 9 of said fixture housing. Said operator extends radially inwardly toward the axis of the latter and is provided with an inner end portion 68 of somewhat reduced diameter defining an annular shoulder 69 adjoining its one end. Said reduced end portion projects inwardly through a suitable aperture 71 provided in the spring member 56, being retained therein between said annular shoulder and an enlarged head 72 formed on the extremity thereof.

With this structure, it will now be realized that by pushing the operator 65 into the fixture housing 2, the annular shoulder 69 on said operator is elfective to swing the free end of the spring member 56 about the curved arm 54 and integrally connected base leg 50 in such a manner as to slide the locking plate 47 inwardly along the upper surface of the housing platform 13 and beneath the aforesaid bridge portion 53 on the base leg 51 As a result, the enlarged opening 58 on said locking plate is carried to a position directly below the latch 46 on the latch member 43 and in substantial vertical alignment with the enlarged opening 45 in the housing platform 13. With the locking plate held in this position, the reflector 5 may then be swung downwardly or clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2 about the spaced eyelets 32, which as before mentioned, function in this manner as spaced pivots, whereby the latch member 43 is carried downwardly and out through the aligned openings 45 and 58. The reflector 5 is then free to be pivotally moved to a position wherein the illuminating device'3a is exposed and accessible for housing 2 to condition the same in its latchable positions It is also realized that if the reflector 5, while inits lowered position, is moved with the slide members 31 to the right as viewed in Fig, 5, the diameter of the retaining member 33 may be increased sufficiently to permit the removal of said reflector from the same whereby it may be cleaned and/or replaced if desired.

The modified form of hingeable support structure shown in Figs. 53-10 is especially designed to afford sub.- stantially easier dismantling of the reflector member from its housing, andalso to absorb impacts or shocks resulting from an inadvertent. sudden swinging of said reflector member to its open position relative to the fixture housing.

To accomplish the above noted results in the order of" their disclosure, the slide members 81 in the instant construction, which function in a manner similar to the slide members 31 in the previous form to provide spaced pivotal connections about which the reflector member is adapted to be swung, are each provided at their respective inner ends with an arm or tab 83 depending substantially perpendicularly outwardly from the base 84 thereof. Said arm is of sufiicent length and disposed so as to be easily grasped and pulled to slide the member 81 within its channel member 2ltoward the center of the housing 2 such that the diameter of the retaining ring member, designated in its present form by the reference 85, is substantially increased to permit easy removal of the reflector member 5. For example, as seen in Fig. 9, with the reflector member lowered to its open position wherein access may be had to the illuminating device 7, said reflector member may then be supported in said position with one hand while the aforesaid slide members 81 are pulled by the other hand both together or one at a time, toward the center of the housing 2. In this manner, the diameter of said retaining member is increased such that it is expelled from the annular groove 36 of the refiector member and the latter is then free to be removed from the same. With this construction, it is hence also apparent that the attachment of the reflector member to the fixture housing 2may likewise be readily and easily accomplished. I

Another important feature of the instant form of hingeable support structure relates to the novel manner in which the retaining ring member 85 is attached to the slide members 81, said novel attachment being effective to absorb impacts or shocks resulting from a sudden swinging of the reflector member to its open position.

With particular reference'directed to Figs. 8 and 10, each end of the retaining ring memberwSS is seen' to loosely extend through the closed eyelet 87 on one of the slide members 81, in a manner somewhat similar to that of the previously disclosed embodiment, being in addition, also provided with an enlarged head 89 on its extremity. Up to this point the structural relationship between the retaining ring member and slide members in each embodiment is substantially the same.

However, the instant structure also includes a pair of coil springs 91 one of which is mounted over each end of the ring member 85, being interposed between the enlarged head 89 on the extremity thereof and the closed eyelet 87 on the slide member 81 associated therewith. With this construction, the ends of said ring member tend to be biased toward each other in such manner that the latter is more firmly seated within the annular groove 36 on the reflector member 5.

With this construction in mind, assume nowthat said reflector member suddenly unintentionally swings freely 7 to its lowered position, as viewed in Fig. 9. When this occurs, the outside surface of the annular wall 35 on said reflector member, as identified specifically by the reference letter A, engages with the end of the annular rim portion 12 of the housing.

The reflector member thus attempts to pivot about said engaging parts and as a result the arms 23 and closed eyelets 87 supporting the ends of the retaining ring member 85 tend to be pulled downwardly away from the housing base. Due to the inherent resiliency of said parts, said retaining member end portions tend to be pulled out of the reflector member groove 36. However, with the coil springs 91 located on said retaining ring member in the manner as just described, the force exerted by the pivotal movement of the reflector member is resisted by said springs which are compressed as seen in Fig. in proportion to said movement. Consequently, the force exerted by said pivotal movement is substantially absorbed by said springs and the retaining ring member 85 is maintained within the groove 36 in its close operative peripheral engagement with the reflector member 5, and hence prevents the same from being inadvertently separated from said fixture housing.

Having thus described several preferred embodiments of the hingeable support structure of the present invention, it is understood that the same are susceptible of various modifications, arrangements and combination of 8 parts without departing from inventive concepts thereof as are defined in the claim. 7

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

Hingeable support means for swingably attaching two relatively movable structures to each other, said support means comprising a plate rigidly mounted on one of said structures, a pair of channel members attached to said plate and extending therealong in diverging spaced relation from one side of said one structure, a slide member slidably supported in each of said channel members and movable longitudinally therealong to a pivotal position adjacent said one side of said one structure, pivotal means attached to each of said slide members, a flexible metallic retaining member having opposite end portions secured to said pivotal means defining a continuous flexible loop extending therebetween, said flexible loop extending completely around the other of said structures and movable into resilient engagement with the same in response to a movement of said slide members to said pivotal position and swingable about said pivotal means in said latter position to swing said other structure relative to one structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

